The Image of the Invisible

You think we could have a look at this Adam?” Michael interrupted hastily. The three ministers followed the king to where he had left the biospirit. He gently pulled back the willow boughs to reveal Adam curled on the ground fast asleep. A collective “Ohhh!” from the gallery surrounding the living exhibit signified the museum had officially opened. So many angels filled the space, there was standing room only. “It is naked! Does it have no robe or covering? ” Lucifer exclaimed. In Mishkan, garments denoted status and position. “No more than the bioform itself,” the king answered. “I want to touch it!” Gabriel breathed. His hand slowly reached toward the non-luminous flesh. “Don’t you dare!” Mehu Pi said. Gabriel snatched his hand back. “What a smidget!” Michael said. “I thought it would be at least my size. How’s it going to take care of this place?” “I told you, Michael, it’s not fully developed.” “Yeah, but look at it. Sound asleep first thing in the morning. You really expect it to do this alone? Let me send someone to help.” “Thanks, but no. I was working on that when you arrived, although gardening didn’t wear Adam out. We’ve been through all the animals and what they can do to help. But Adam isn’t satisfied. Which is fine, since none of them is really suitable for what I had in mind.” Mehu Pi’s face took on a faraway look. Lucifer sensed the complete silence of the angels watching from the gallery as they unconsciously leaned toward the king, rapt in his concentration. After who knows how long, the biospirit sighed in its sleep and broke the enchantment. Gabriel stirred and looked around the grove. He said to Lucifer, “See the other creatures curled up in pairs? It reminds me of what you were saying about duality last night.” Mehu Pi looked over at them. “Animals have mates, Gabriel; one male, one female. Between them they reproduce more of themselves.” “Is Adam male or female?” Lucifer asked. “Neither, at least not yet, but reproductive attributes are part of what I mean by suitable. I’m using the process of selecting a helper to develop Adam’s ability to make choices.” Lucifer tutted and the king looked at him. “What?” Lucifer hesitated but Gabriel said, “Lucifer doesn’t think giving the biospirit the freedom to choose is a good thing.” “I said it was dangerous, Gabriel. Not bad.” “There are risks, of course, but they can be controlled,” the king replied. “True personality entails volition. A biospirit is an actual personal being, right down to its sense of self and the corresponding desire to be known. We made some progress in establishing preferences but the process seems to be exhausting to the bioform.” “Do you know what will satisfy Adam?” Gabriel asked. “Another biospirit, to start with…Watch this,” the king said with a smile. He squared his shoulders, knelt down beside the sleeping biospirit, and scooped a knob of flesh from the creature’s chest. He rearranged the remaining organs and made a small change to Adam’s bioform. Finally, he spread exterior tissues to restore the skin surface. Then, quicker than Lucifer could later recount, the king fashioned another biospirit. Tiny though the female specimen began, the bioform tissue accelerated through cellular reproduction and differentiation until the new creature was of comparable. When the king finished, he sat back on his heels to wait. The new biospirit began to stir. She sat up and blinked. Her eyes slowly focused on her maker. Mehu Pi stood up, took her by the hand, and lifted her to stand in front of him. He looked over his shoulder at the ministers. “Simple, really. And she’s not the Cegu’Lah, either. She’s a woman, a wife for Adam, which makes him fully male. Let’s see what he thinks.” He bent down and nudged the sleeping biospirit. Adam sat up and scrubbed his eyes. When he saw the new creature standing beside the king, he jumped to his feet. “Whuh…Whuh…Where’d you get that? Why didn’t you bring this one around sooner?”